News
Social Media and Artificial Intelligence as Tools for Therapy
Gen Z is “online and overwhelmed,” according to Esther Fernandez of the Made of Millions Foundation. It’s a fair statement, considering the unlimited access to digital content vying for a user’s attention aided by AI algorithms that responsively shape the virtual world around them. Gen Z is the largest population alive today and consists of those born in the late 1990s to the early 2010s. This generation is the first to be born and raised with access to the internet and digital technology, which makes them the current focus of corporations, news and media outlets, and researchers. According to The Anxious Generation book, the “phone-based childhood” has contributed to a sharp increase in depression, anxiety, self-harm and suicide among youth since 2010. Individuals have access to a constant stream of content that can trigger depression or fear from their back pocket, and the algorithms will feed the user more content related to their engagement. This could send those already struggling with their mental health into a spiral of content that exacerbates symptoms. For better or worse, our clients are engaging with content online, and young people are more likely to turn to the internet for answers to their mental health problems.
Cultivating a Trauma-Informed Behavioral Health Workforce
As a mother with a full-time career as a program administrator at a community mental health center, I know firsthand the challenges that often come with balancing motherhood and work. I remember the anxiety of returning to the office when my baby was just 2 months old. I still felt like I did not know what to expect and was still waiting for my life to go back to “normal”. However, I quickly discovered that when I became a mother, I joined a new community; a community of women that support each other. While the adjustment back to work took time, having the support from my colleagues and other mothers made a difference.
Supporting Maternal Mental Health in the Workplace: Policies, Practices, and Culture Change
As a mother with a full-time career as a program administrator at a community mental health center, I know firsthand the challenges that often come with balancing motherhood and work. I remember the anxiety of returning to the office when my baby was just 2 months old. I still felt like I did not know what to expect and was still waiting for my life to go back to “normal”. However, I quickly discovered that when I became a mother, I joined a new community; a community of women that support each other. While the adjustment back to work took time, having the support from my colleagues and other mothers made a difference.
What you don’t know about mental health can hurt you (and others)
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, making it a great time to put this critical issue in the spotlight. It’s an issue that touches every family in some way around the country. It’s evident in the problems we see played out, from mass shootings to a bullying epidemic and beyond; we have some serious issues that are causing pain and decreasing the quality of life for millions. The more we can identify the problem, and what to do about it, the better society will be.